Pet carrier

ABSTRACT

A pet carrier for facilitating interactive experiences between a pet and pet owner includes including a pocket with an opening, two sides and a bottom adapted to partially surround a pet. The pocket has a resilient panel lining the bottom or sewn into the bottom that tensions the sides when the carrier is worn and a pet is placed in the pocket, and which provides a firm footing for the pet when transported by the pet owner.

This application is a National Stage Application of PCT U.S. Ser. No.14/57022 titled “Pet Carrier” filed Sep. 23, 2014 which claims benefitto U.S. Provisional App. No. 61/880,998 filed Sep. 23, 2013

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to pet carriers, and morespecifically to a pet carrier to be supported by a pet owner'sshoulders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Backpack style pet carriers have been described in the past. U.S. Pat.No. 6,481,606 to Pickett describes a pouch with a drawstring opening andshoulder straps. U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,281 to Williams et al. describes abackpack-style animal carrier being of fabric and rigid frameconstruction.

While the aforementioned devices are capable of facilitating pettransport, a number of issues remain. When carried in a pouch a pet willassume an awkward, unnatural and possibly unhealthy position, or simplyslump in accordance with the shape of the carrier and go to sleep. Dogowners appreciate that their pets enjoy actively participating in travelwhether by being walked or riding in a vehicle. One iconic image thatcomes to mind is a dog sticking its head out of a vehicle window to feelthe sun and wind on its face. Accordingly, it is felt that past petcarriers do not adequately address the needs and sensitivities of thepet when accompanying their owner in various activities.

It would be desirable to provide a pet carrier that encourages a pet tomaintain a forward facing aspect so that it is able to see what itsowner sees.

It would be further desirable to provide a pet carrier that encourages apet to sit or stand in an upright sure-footed position while beingtransported.

It would be particularly desirable to provide a pet carrier having astructure with shock absorbing properties.

Along with the foregoing desirable features, it would be especiallydesirable to provide a lightweight pet carrier that can be collapsedinto a generally flat, low profile package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a pet carrier including a pocket with anopening, two sides and a bottom. An otherwise soft-construction pockethas a resilient panel lining the bottom or sewn into the bottom thattensions the sides when the carrier is worn and a pet is placed in thepocket. While the resilient panel of a preferred embodiment ispreferably a sheet of flexible plastic such as polyethylene orpolypropylene of 3/32 inch or less in thickness that may be curled orflattened for storage with the carrier, other panel materials andthicknesses will suggest themselves to those having skill in the art andbenefit of this disclosure. Whatever the panel material, the panel hasmemory and a bias for a flat state. When worn, the panel is constrainedby portions the pocket fabric but because of bias, strains toward a flatdisposition which causes the pocket sides to tauten somewhat like adrumhead. The carrier may be rolled up and an elastic cord placed aroundthe transverse axis of the pocket for storage. The panel provides asubstantially firm and level surface on which the pet stands or sitsupright rather than slumping down and conforming to a soft flexiblebottom. A non-exhaustive list of advantages of the invention are asfollows:

1. The plastic backing curvature creates a spring like shape wheregravity acts to keep pressure on the pet's back allowing for interactivepivoting for the pet on the platform now provided by this design2. Due to the flat platform bottom the pet now has a platform in whichto directly control the dog's inertia3. The plastic backing curvature creates a spring like shape wheregravity acts to keep the plastic backing firm against the human's backand thus creating more control for the pet.4. The plastic backing curvature creates a spring like shape weregravity acts to keep pressure on the pet's back towards the rider andconstantly acts to decrease the distance between the rider and the pet'scenters of gravity. This increases the shared inertia between rider andpet.5. The firm platform for the pet promotes alertness and participation.

While in the embodiment depicted herein, the pocket is generallyteardrop in shape with the panel running the length of the entire pocketin order to shield the owner's back, it should be understood that othershape variations will suggest themselves to those having skill in theart and benefit of this disclosure. Accordingly, structures such asinside or outside pockets; e.g., a pouch for holding a water bottle, ora zippered pocket for keys or a cellphone can be introduced to orincorporated with the sides without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

In one aspect of the present invention, a pet carrier includes aresilient floor which maintains along a transverse axis of the pocket, astraight surface on which a carried pet is able to stand or sit in anupright position.

In another aspect of the present invention, a pet carrier includes asewn in flexible panel which has a planar bias and is constrained bysurrounding fabric to assume a curved shape along a longitudinal axis ofa pocket which is sized and shaped to surround a transported pet.

In another aspect of the present invention, a pet carrier assumes aready-to-use shape due to a planar bias of an embedded resilient panel.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of theinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figureswherein the scale depicted is approximate. Exemplary implementations,embodiments and examples that follow are non-exhaustive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear facing perspective view of a right side of oneembodiment of a pet carrier according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear facing perspective view of a left side of oneembodiment of a pet carrier according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rearward view of an embodiment of a pet carrier according tothe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of (FIG. 3);

FIGS. 5a and 5b are diagrammatic views of one embodiment of a petcarrier, wherein the front of the carrier is shown in an unfolded andcollapsing state;

FIGS. 5c and 5d illustrate various panel configurations of embodimentsdescribed herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates a panel configuration of one embodiment of a petcarrier having multiple panels or a divided panel;

FIG. 7 is a rear facing perspective view of a left side of oneembodiment of a pet carrier having a flap for bridging the opening of apet carrier;

FIG. 8 depicts a rear facing side of an embodiment of a pet carrieraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a front facing view of an embodiment of a pet carrieraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 10 depicts a side of an embodiment of a pet carrier according tothe present invention having an opening 126 bridged by pet retentionmembers 150;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a pet carrieraccording to the present invention in a typical use setting;

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of a pet carrieraccording to the present invention in a typical use setting;

FIG. 13 diagrammatically shows mass shifting of an object (m)accompanied by a flexing of a resilient panel 130 of the preferredembodiment;

FIG. 14 depicts a wedge 170 that can be used with the present inventionin order to adjust the transport angle according to user preference.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference listing:

-   100 carrier-   120 pocket-   122 bottom-   124 sides-   126 opening-   128 upper band-   130 panel-   140 shoulder strap-   142 lower strap-   143 strap buckle-   150 pet retention member-   153 a, 153 b retention member fasteners-   170 wedge-   180 pet aperture

Definitions

In the following description, the term “carrier” refers to carriers wornon the back which are used to transport a pet such as a small or mediumsized dog or cat. The term “longitudinal axis” when used herein, meansthe axis defined by line 4′-4′ of (FIG. 3). The singular terms “a”,“an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. Similarly, the word “or” is intended to include“and” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Although methodsand materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can beused in the practice or testing of this disclosure, suitable methods andmaterials are described below. The term “comprises” means “includes.”All publications, patent applications, patents, and other referencesmentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety for allpurposes. In case of conflict, the present specification, includingexplanations of terms, will control. In addition, the materials,methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to belimiting.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 14, a generally teardrop shapedpet carrier 100 includes a sewn construction with sides 124, a topopening 126 and a bottom 122. Adhered to or sewn into the bottom is aflexible panel 130 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 as a dashed line. The carrierhas sides that stretch and become taut when the panel is in a relaxedposition; i.e., not folded or rolled for storage purposes. Top bands 128are preferably made of an elasticized fabric that constrain panel 130 toa generally J-shaped or C-shaped profile. Whatever the top bandmaterial, an elastic cord, not shown, can be placed within bands 128tying the top left and bottom left corners and the top right and bottomright corners of the panel to maintain a curved shape while permittingthe panel to spring and flex slightly when the pet is transported whilejogging or riding a bicycle.

The panel may be one piece or a divided panel. The panel may be bent orscored transversely.

Carrier 100 is shown in FIGS. 1-4, and FIGS. 7-14 having a panel in arelaxed state wherein the panel has assumed a J-shape due to theconstraining material of the carrier. Because panel 130 is flexible, thecarrier can be stored by placing straps 140 into opening 126 and furtherbending along the bend shown at the bottom of the figure.

As seen in FIG. 2, while bottom 122 is unobstructed so as to provide aeven surface against a transporter's back. It is possible that a pad,mat or roll can be placed between the bottom and a transporter's backfor cushioning purposes or to tilt/elevate the carrier (see FIG. 14).

FIG. 3 shows top opening 126 of carrier 100 bounded by sides 124, andbottom 122 which forms a main cavity which can be any depth or size toaccommodate various sizes of pets. While pet retention members 150 aredepicted in the preferred embodiment as straps similar to shoulderstraps 140, retention members can be for example, a flap with anaperture that permits a pet to pass its head through. It should be alsonoted that aperture 180 formed by straps or flap retention member isshaped and sized such that a pet may escape if needed, for example, incases where the pet owner stumbles or falls from his or her bicycle.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4′-4′ of (FIG. 3)that shows panel 130 disposed between outer and inner surfaces of thecarrier, and side 124 that connects the upper and lower portions of thepanel. Typically, a semi-rigid plastic panel is sewn between thematerials covering of the carrier which can be a ballistic nylon,polyester webbing, Kevlar or another durable material.

FIGS. 4 and 5 depict typical uses of the carrier of the presentinvention, and show respectively, carrier 100 mounted to the back of astanding transporter, and the carrier mounted to the back of abicyclist. In either case, the curve of bottom 122 provides a floor thatencourages the pet to stand or sit in a forward facing position. In thisway the pet can experience the sights along with its human transporter.

FIG. 5a in a diagrammatic view shows a carrier when in a uncollapsedstate suitable for carrying a pet, and in FIG. 5b , the carrier in theprocess of forced collapse in preparation for storing the carrier.Vertices of the panel may be living hinges, or the panel may be scoredso that it assumes more readily the desired profile. FIGS. 5c and 5dshow other panel configurations that are collapsible. FIG. 6 depicts ateardrop shaped carrier wherein the panel is divided into sections whichare placed or sandwiched between the materials of the carrier.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment having a retention member 150 in the form ofa flap with an aperture or slit 180 therein to permit a pet's head topass therethrough. Such a flap may be connected along any side of thecarrier, and secured by fasteners such as hook and loop strips (153 a,153 b) at its free end.

Typically, the carrier is worn by the pet owner as shown in FIG. 11similar to a backpack when walking or riding (see FIG. 12).

FIG. 13 shows a typical forward mass shift of a carried body (m). Theposition of the panel 130 curve to frame (F) changes as the mass shifts,in this case, forward and down from the first to second frames. Thetendency of the bottom of the panel to follow the pet's mass maintains astable platform for the pet when subjected to the acceleration anddeceleration of transport.

The outer materials of the carrier can be any sufficiently lightweightfabric, synthetic material or leather. While in the preferredembodiment, the straps are adjusted by buckles, other strap adjustmentmeans suggesting themselves to persons having skill in the art andbenefit of this disclosure can be employed without departing from thescope of the present invention. While panel 130 is shown in thepreferred embodiment as a rectangular panel that is curved by biasingcaused by the surrounding material/fabric, other panel shapes such asrounded corner rectangles and ellipses are contemplated and can be usedtogether or separately in either unitary form, conjoined, adjacent orabutting each other within the present invention. In any case, when thepanel of is curved, it is the intent and design of the present inventionthat a substantially level foothold relative to a horizontal axis bemaintained for the carried pet so pet fatigue is minimized and slumpingdiscouraged.

Referring to FIG. 14, the present invention includes an optional wedge170 for placement between the forward facing surface of the carrier anda pet transporter's back as shown to adjust the angle of the carrier fora particular mode of transport; e.g.; hiking, biking, boating, joggingand running among others, according to user preference and pet comfort.Preferably, the wedge is constructed of a closed cell foam, but can beproduced by forming a three-sided channel of a flexible plastic. Thewedge can be removably affixed to the bottom of the carrier by hook andloop fasteners, snaps, or other fastening means as would suggest itselfto those having skill in the art and access to this disclosure.

It should be understood that the drawings and detailed descriptionherein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictivemanner, and are not intended to be limiting to the particular forms andexamples disclosed. Exemplary features and objects of the embodimentsdescribed herein can be combined or not combined with one another.Accordingly, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention tothe particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended tocover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A collapsible carrier for transporting a pet in aforward facing position comprising: 1) a pair of shoulder straps forplacement over a transporter's shoulders; 2) a pocket adapted to containa pet having a top opening, sides, and a bottom; 3) at least oneresilient support sewn into or adhered to the bottom of the pocket whichprovides a substantially firm and straight surface along a transverseaxis on which a pet can stand when placed in the carrier; 4) at leastone pet retention member reversibly bridging the opening of the pocketfor placement over the pet and forming an escapable opening throughwhich the pet can pass.
 2. The collapsible carrier according to claim 1wherein the resilient support provides shock absorption by flexing whenthe mass of the pet shifts up or down.